German Christmas Customs • Weihnachten

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Christmas in Austria, Germany, Switzerland

Tradition, Three Kings, and Kris Kringle

Although we usually take today’s Christmas celebration customs for granted, most of the so-called “traditional” Christmas practices only date back to the 19th century.

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Even the date of the celebration of Christ’s birth has fluctuated. Until the Roman church adopted December 25 in the 4th century, January 6 was the day of celebration — today’s Epiphany or Heilige Drei Könige (the “Wise Men,” “Three Kings,” the Magi) in German. To this day, the initials of the Three Kings—C+M+B (Caspar/Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar)—plus the year are inscribed in chalk over doorways in German-speaking countries on the eve of January 6 to protect house and home. (Although historically the three letters are supposed to come from the Latin phrase for “Christ bless this house”—"Christus mansionem benedicat"—few of the people practicing this custom are aware of this fact. - See Epiphany sites.) In many parts of Europe, including Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, the Christmas celebration does not end until this date, now considered the arrival of the three “kings of the orient” in Bethlehem—and the end of the “twelve days of Christmas” between Christmas and January 6.

German-American Thomas Nast’s version of Santa, illustrating Clement Moore’s poem “The Night Before Christmas” in Harper’s Weekly, soon became the American version of the “jolly old elf.”

Many “American” Christmas elements have come from German Europe. “Silent Night” was composed in Austria in 1818. (More on our “Silent Night” page.) The Advent or Christmas calendar is a German tradition that has become increasingly popular in the U.S. Even some American Christmas words come from German. Kris Kringle is a corruption Christkindl (“Christ Child” - It is the Christkindl who brings gifts on Christmas Eve in Germany, not Santa!) And it was the German-American Thomas Nast (1840-1902) who gave us the modern image of Santa Claus (and the animal symbols for both the American Democratic and Republican parties!) in the 1860s. (Nast was born in Landau, Germany and came to the U.S. with his family as a young boy.) His Christmas illustrations for Harper’s Weekly were later published in book form and, along with Clement Clarke Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas,” helped establish our “jolly old elf” image of Santa—not to be confused with St. Nikolaus. His day, Nikolaustag, is on December 6.

One German Christmas custom the U.S. has yet to adopt is the two-day celebration. The day after Christmas Day—der zweite Weihnachtstag, known as Boxing Day in Britain—is also a holiday in Germany. There are many other Christmas customs and traditions—national, regional, and local—unique to German Europe. You can learn about them by following our numerous Christmas links, and reading the other sections on this page and our “Stille Nacht” page.

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Christmas Cards
Send a free card! (About.com)

Also see the Barbarazweig Legend.

“O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,
nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.”

TEXT: Ernst Anschütz, Leipzig, 1824, set to a traditional tune.
Various “Tannenbaum” songs and ballads date from 1550.
MORE > German Christmas Carols - Lyrics in German and English!

Germany’s Tannenbaum (Christmas Tree)

The German religious reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) is often credited with starting the Christmas tree custom, but the first appearance of a Tannenbaum was recorded in Germany many years after Luther’s death. It was in 1605 in Strasbourg in Alsace, then in Germany, that a chronicler wrote (in old German): “Auff Weihenachten richtett man Dahnnenbäum zu Strasburg in den Stuben auff..." (“At Christmas they set up Christmas trees in Strasbourg in their rooms...”).

Der Weihnachtsbaum - A German Christmas tree

But it is likely that the custom dates back to at least around 1550, since the first of several “Tannenbaum” ballads was circulating in print at that time. By the 19th century this custom had spread across most of Germany and beyond. Several royal Germans are credited with helping extend the tree decorating custom beyond Germany’s borders. The Duchess of Orleans (from Mecklenburg) brought it to Paris, while other Germanic royals brought the Christmas tree to England and other European countries. But it was commoners—emigrants from Germany—who brought the Weihnachtsbaum to America.

The Austrians, Germans, and Swiss are now using more “electric candles” for tree decoration, but many a Germanic Christbaum continues to glow with the warm light of real wax candles. (Germans use special candle holders and have learned how to do this safely; the candles are not left to burn for a long time or without someone in the room.)

The use of evergreens as a Christmas symbol of everlasting life goes back much further than even the 1550s, but still with a Germanic connection. St. Boniface is said to have introduced the use of evergreens in connection with his efforts to Christianize the Germanic tribes in the 8th century. He dedicated the fir tree (Tannenbaum) to the Christ Child, displacing the pagan oak tree of Odin.

A more recent “old” Bavarian tradition is the so-called “Bride’s Tree,” upon which a dozen special ornaments are hung to help ensure a better life for a married couple. The 12 ornaments and their symbolic significance are: angel (God’s guidance), bird (joy), fish (Christ’s blessing), flower basket (good wishes), fruit basket (generosity), heart (true love), house (protection), pine cone (fruitfulness), rabbit (hope), rose (affection), Santa (goodwill), and teapot (hospitality). Special hand-blown glass ornaments in these forms are still produced in Bavaria.

For more about the Christmas tree, see our Christmas Tree Links.

NEXT > Advent and Christmas

Germany > Christmas > Advent > “Silent Night” > Barbarazweig >
   Christmas Links > Recipe Links > Christmas Photos > Christmas Music CDs
 

Web page Copyright © 1997-2007 Hyde Flippo

Related Pages - Christmas

This Site

• Barbarazweig - The legend and the Christmas custom.
• Silent Night (Stille Nacht) - Our "Silent Night" page has the true story and related links.
• Christmas Links - Our links list is so large, it has a page of its own!

The Web

• A German Christmas - All about Christmas in German Europe—from About.com.
• German Christmas Carols - Lyrics in German and English — from About.com.
• Christmas Cards - Send a free card! (About.com)

NEXT > Advent and Christmas

Web content ©1997-2007 Hyde Flippo